"When do we want it?" he continued. The crowd answered "Now!" as it marched in circles, carrying signs.

"A beast has not died--27 million slaves still exist worldwide," Rossini said.

Protesters carried signs with slogans including: "In Sudan it's easier to buy a slave than a VCR," "Teachers AID Slave Raids," "Don't Side with Genocide" and "Educate Don't Eradicate."

Jesse A. Sage '98, who works full time for the group as its associate director, discussed the moral significance of the group.

"It is a question of, 'Are you going to use your freedom to free other people?'" he said.

Tommy R. Calvert, who was dressed in a pinstripe suit with an Africa-US unity pin on one lapel and a www.anti-slavery.org pin on the other, asked the crowd to join hands and repeat after him.

"Together we can make a difference," he said.

As a sophomore at Tufts University and a student representative to Tufts' Board of Trustees, Calvert said he plans to "take the issue to the top."

Some of the speakers, including Simmons College student Margaree Cotten, commented on the significance of the rally's location.

"We are at the historic center of education and abolitionism," she said.

The rally drew reporters and photographers from the Associated Press, in addition to numerous student publications, including Boston University's Daily Free Press and the Suffolk Law School Journal.